What does reasonable doubt mean in a DUI trial in SC?
Driving under the influence is a criminal offense in South Carolina as well as a traffic offense. It carries potentially severe penalties, including prison time and loss of driving privileges, and it cannot be expunged once you have been convicted.
When you are charged with DUI in SC, you have the same constitutional rights that a person has when charged with murder or when charged with a speeding ticket, including the right to a jury trial and the right to proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
So, what does proof beyond any reasonable doubt mean in a DUI trial?
Reasonable Doubt in a SC DUI Trial
Along with the right to counsel and the right to a trial by jury, even when charged with DUI, the right to proof beyond a reasonable doubt is one of the most important constitutional rights that we have.
We need to “use it or lose it” – Americans are among the few nations that have constitutional protections for the people, and our Bill of Rights is the only thing that prevents a corrupt government from “running roughshod” over ordinary people who are just trying to live their lives.
That means 1) if we are jurors in a DUI or any criminal trial, we must understand the principle of reasonable doubt so we can apply it conscientiously, and 2) if we are a DUI attorney trying a criminal case in SC, we must be able to explain reasonable doubt to jurors who might assume the standard of proof is “more likely than not.”
Burden of Proof vs. Standard of Proof
The burden of proof is always on the government in a criminal case, and the jurors must assume that the defendant is innocent throughout the trial.
The standard of proof is a matter of the quality and quantity of the evidence presented. The prosecutor has some evidence, but how good does that evidence need to be? It’s a matter of the level of proof. You may be convinced, but that may not be enough – how convinced do you need to be before you can find a person guilty?
It may surprise many to hear that the law requires you to acquit a person even if you believe they are guilty, if there is not sufficient evidence to firmly convince you beyond any reasonable doubt.
How Do You Explain Reasonable Doubt to Jurors?
A reasonable doubt is the kind of doubt that would cause a reasonable person to hesitate to act. It’s a doubt for which you can give a reason…
This is one of the jury instructions that is often given to jurors by the judge at the end of a DUI trial in SC, and it makes sense. If you believe that the police may have tampered with the evidence, that’s a reason for doubt that would cause a reasonable person to hesitate to act.
Or, if the state’s only witness is a proven liar whom the prosecutor promised freedom in exchange for testifying, that’s a reason for doubt that should cause you to hesitate to act.
Relatable Examples
When a person is charged with a crime and their family, freedom, and reputation are on the line, this is one of the most important events in that person’s life. It is like other “most important” events, like a decision to have surgery, to marry, to divorce, or to change careers, and it must be treated with the same gravity.
If your doctor, who has completed medical school and has decades of experience in spinal surgery, testifies that you should undergo the procedure and provides solid evidence of why you must undergo the procedure, you might agree – if there are no other reasons to distrust your doctor’s opinion.
If Billy Snitch, who has spent most of his life incarcerated and has repeatedly been proven to lie for ulterior motives, was the one testifying, would you agree and go under the knife? You probably would not – you probably would want a second opinion, wouldn’t you?
Just as you would not trust this person’s testimony before deciding to undergo surgery, you cannot trust this person’s testimony before deciding to find someone guilty of a crime. Why? Because this trial is one of the most important events in my client’s life, and this witness is a proven liar.
What are the Different Standards of Proof?
Many jurors don’t understand what reasonable doubt means – they only know what they have seen in movies and television shows, where the bad guy is almost always the one arrested and they are almost always guilty.
Possibly the best way to explain reasonable doubt to a layperson is to explain the different standards of proof that are used in different courtrooms across the United States in different kinds of cases.
For example:
A scintilla of evidence is the lowest standard of proof recognized in American courtrooms. It isn’t evidence of much at all – it is a “mere suspicion.”
A reasonable suspicion might be enough evidence for a police officer to pat you down if they suspect you have a weapon. It’s not enough evidence to charge a person with a crime or bring them to trial, however. If all they have is a reasonable suspicion, we shouldn’t even be here in the first place.
Probable cause is enough evidence to search a person, to search a vehicle, or to charge a person with a crime. Probable cause is enough evidence for a grand jury to indict a person before trial. It’s enough to get you here, but it is never enough evidence to convict a person of a crime.
Preponderance of the evidence is the standard of proof we use in civil cases. It means a thing is more likely than not true, or the evidence on one side is greater than 50%. Even when it is more likely than not that a person committed a crime, we must acquit them because that is not enough evidence in a criminal courtroom in America.
What if the evidence is clear and convincing?
Clear and convincing evidence is the standard of proof in the family court in termination of parental rights cases. When the government wants to permanently take your children away from you and terminate all parental rights, they must prove by clear and convincing evidence that you are an unfit parent. But even clear and convincing evidence is not enough to convict a person of a crime in America.
Finally, beyond any reasonable doubt is the highest standard of proof in any courtroom in America – it’s the highest standard of proof in any courtroom in the world, and it is the standard of proof that must be applied in every criminal case in South Carolina.
Questions About Reasonable Doubt?
If you have been charged with DUI, DUAC, or another DUI-related offense in Myrtle Beach, Conway, or anywhere in the Horry County area, you may have valid defenses to the charge, or there may be grounds to get your case dismissed. You may also have strict deadlines to request an administrative hearing if you have an implied consent suspension…
Contact Conway, SC, DUI Lawyer Johnny Gardner now at (843) 248-7135 for a free consultation to find out how we can help.
